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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23953096">The charms of Mollymauk</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaelGalant/pseuds/MaelGalant'>MaelGalant</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Critical Role (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M, No Smut, Seduction, Slow Burn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 01:54:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,276</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23953096</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaelGalant/pseuds/MaelGalant</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ten times Caleb was captured by the charms of Mollymauk. </p><p>(An English translation of the French fanfic Les charmes de Mollymauk)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Mollymauk Tealeaf/Caleb Widogast</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>97</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Knowledge of Omens</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            A translation of

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/21071468">Les charmes de Mollymauk</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaelGalant/pseuds/MaelGalant">MaelGalant</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So yeah, this is my very first attempt at translating one of my own work, since I normaly write in French. There will be a lot of mistakes, and I'm sorry if it harms your reading experience, I'll try my best to make it somewhat readable.</p><p>This is a collection of small OS revolving around what was considered the best skills to possess for seduction, in the old time of the 6th century in India... You guess it, it's based on the Kama Sutra, but not the juicy parts that everybody know, the others six tomes that everybody ignore. </p><p>So if you're interested by the same challenge, even with another couple/fandom, go for it. It's one skill by OS (ten in total) and the thematic is clearly stated in the title of each chapter here. Enjoys !</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They arrive earlier than expected in front of the circus tent, their brewery tour only boiling down to the visit of two establishments. Despite this, Nott managed to whistle about twenty beer in less than ten hours. Not enough to make her drunk, but at least Caleb is assured that she will not have wandering hands during the show. For his part, he is completely sober and ready to react if the situation requires it. He is still far from placing his trust in the new "friends" they made this morning, especially with the incident last night still fresh in his memory.</p><p>Yasha is the first one they notice, and her strange eyes stop on them like a fierce eagle as she is leaning against one of the poles supporting the huge tent. Mollymauk is talking to her while counting his remaining brochures, and the silver charms adorning his horns flutter as he turns to give them a broad smile.</p><p>- Oh, you’re ahead of time! The opening parade should not take place for at least an hour… Interested in a more detailed reading about your future, perhaps?</p><p>At these words, he waves his hands, and suddenly it is no longer the brochures that are between his thin fingers, but his famous pack of cards. Caleb knows that they are not magic, knows that the tieffelin is only a charlatan among so many others. However, he can't help his curiosity. Even Nott seems annoyed by such an indolent display of his skills, and scrutinizes his hands with so much concentration that it looks like she is trying to puncture a hole in them by the force of his gaze alone.</p><p>Soon, they are crammed into a tiny tent smoked with incense. Mollymauk sits cross-legged on a carpet as rich in embroidery as his coat, and his red eyes seem to glow as he shuffles the cards with serenity. Sitting in front of him, Jester squirms in excitement as she floods him with questions about her father, and how to find him, and whether fate will reunite him with her mother. An unexpected opportunity for Caleb to learn more about her and better understand her motivations. However, he only listens with a distracted ear. Mollymauk has absorbed all his attention, in the way he tilts his head when he is paying attention to Jester, or in the sweet smile that stretches the corner of his lips when she reveals to him all her life with a blind confidence.</p><p>Fascinated in spite of himself, Caleb observes the delicate ballet of his long manicured fingers above the cards, lets himself be enveloped by the slight accent of his murmuring, solemn low voice, as he reveals the card of the Moon and its meaning. Something about past information distorted by too much imagination, confusion and secrets, precautions to be taken along the way, but magnificent results. Jester nods gravely, Fjord and Beau exchange a puzzled look, and for a short moment, Caleb wonders what Mollymauk would make of his cards if he was sitting in place of the tiefling. Would he come out with some generic phrases to save his face? Or would he be able to uncover his darkest secrets, simply by placing his terrible red eyes on his person? A shiver runs down his spine at the thought, and instinctively, Caleb close his arms around him as he looks away. The tent, who seemed mysterious and bewitching, now looks suffocating to him. But he knows it's all in his head, and mentally reprimand himself for giving in to paranoia in front of ridiculous superstitions.</p><p>However, when he looks back at Mollymauk, his heart falls heavily into his stomach. The blood-red eyes are no longer on Jester, but on him. Piercing his soul. Before suddenly drawing their attention back to the blue tiefling as if nothing had happened, affable smile on the lips and forked tail waving lazily behind him. At this precise moment, all of Caleb's suspicions yelled at him to never, never lower his guard in his presence. Mollymauk is definitely too perceptive for his good. Too much to trust him one day.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Teaching Parrots to Talk</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Making Frumpkin change form is always a long, tedious and far too expensive job. First there is all the chalk marking of the pentacle, and then burning a ridiculously large amount of incense and charcoal in a metal pot placed in the center. But the result is there, and the ginger cat gives way to a tiny sparrow fluttering to its outstretched finger.</p><p>- Sorry, I know it’s not your favorite shape, but it’s only temporary until I get ten gold again.<br/>- You should have turned him into a parrot so he could answer you.</p><p>Caleb jumps violently as he turns to the voice, Frumpkin quickly flying out of his perch. As usual when performing a ritual, he forgot to pay attention to what is going on around him, and obviously Mollymauk took advantage of it to sneak inside the room, looking at him mockingly while leaning against the door.</p><p>- I was… hoping that it wouldn’t attract attention. To send it in recognition for, uh, Kylre.</p><p>Through the smoke still floating in the small room, Mollymauk seems almost immaterial, and yet the tiefling is in its place among the ephemeral swirls and the heavy scent of burnt incense. As if it had not been Frumpkin that Caleb had invoked, but a fiend straight from the evil plans to take his soul… No, it’s just the heavy smell of smoke playing with his mind. Trying to ignore the headache that hovers behind his head, the redhead waves in the direction of Mollymauk.</p><p>- What are you doing here?<br/>- Well, it’s been over an hour, and it made me curious. Also, Jester tells everyone downstairs that if it takes you so long, it's probably because you're masturbating.<br/>- … No. Magic just takes a long time.</p><p>Mollymauk is so nonchalant, and maybe it's his natural confidence that makes Caleb so uncomfortable under his hot glare. However, here is Frumpkin who perch on one of the horns of the tiefling, and the magician must admit that he is rather surprised. His familiar has a personality so close to his: fierce, but incredibly tactile with those he loves. Unless his master asks him to make a diversion, he rarely approaches strangers, and since they have only known the tiefling for two days… Maybe this is his way of thanking Mollymauk for providing some of the components for his transformation?</p><p>The tiefling himself seems surprised by this act of trust, but unlike Beau or Jester who exclaim for nothing in front of the familiar, he remains rather calm. In fact, he doesn't even try to touch the tiny little bird, tilting his head to the side instead to make sure that Frumpkin is comfortable on his perch. The familiar even goes so far as to peck with curiosity the silver chain connecting the horn to Mollymauk's earlobe, without the latter showing any irritation.</p><p>- Too bad that parrots are not a common animal in the Empire. I would have been curious to hear what he had to say.</p><p>Caleb doesn't know what to answer as Mollymauk winks at him before slipping out of the room, letting Frumpkin go back to his master and land on his shoulder. Is this a comment that Caleb seems to be hiding things from the group? Or simple curiosity about him? To be frank, everything that comes out of the tiefling mouth is said so casually that he is not sure how to interpret it. When in doubt, it is better to focus on the pursuit that awaits them. Once Kylre is defeated and they are all cleared of the circus attack ... then he can judge whether or not keeping in touch with such a mysterious being as Mollymauk is worth it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Makeup and Perfume</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>One of the best way to know someone is to observe their morning routine. This is why, as they finish their first night on the road, Caleb pays close attention to the actions of his new comrades while pretending to focus on his spell book.</p><p>Already, there is Fjord who wakes up spitting salt water, which is quite unusual, disturbing, and forces Caleb to reconsider his opinion on the half-orc. Until now, he seemed the most normal and rational of them all, but now the redhead will have to remain suspicious of him. If there is one thing he has learned as a magician, it is to never trust unexplained magic events.</p><p>He observed that Beau is naturally in a bad mood when she wakes up, and that she won't say a word until she sits on her heels near the embers of the fire to chew the bacon hidden in her pockets. In contrast, Jester hums like an early bird while sharing with Nott one of those old, dry, and slightly crushed donuts lying in the back of her backpack.</p><p>And then there is Mollymauk, to whom his eyes keep coming back with a strange fascination. The tiefling has taken out of his bag a small jar containing a kind of bluish greasy powder, and is spreading it on his eyelids methodically while keeping an eye on the small pocket mirror he holds in the other hand . It seems to grab the attention of the two girls, Beau growling that putting on makeup in the middle of nowhere is completely counterproductive, and Jester complimenting Molly on his technique and how well the color compliments his lavender skin.</p><p>The tiefling has a cat smile at these words, adoring the attention placed on his person as he sticks his tongue out at the monk. In the meantime, he has put away powder and mirror to swap them for a worn ginger root, the end of which he peels off his scimitar. Caleb can't help but raise an eyebrow when he sees him rub the root against his throat and armpits, leaving slight damp marks on his skin.</p><p>- The perfume of the poor… and excellent against hangovers.</p><p>That's what Mollymauk explains, suddenly turning to him, and Caleb feels himself blushing to his ears as he hastens to plunge his nose into his grimoire. Obviously, his glances were not as discreet as expected. Fortunately, the tiefling already ignores him, putting his products in its satchel while discussing with Jester the different prices of products imported from the Menagerie, such as the lotus powder decorating his eyelids.</p><p>Half an hour later, they are all crammed into their cart on their way to Alfield. The two girls are in the back, tossing their legs in the air while chatting about everything and nothing. At the front, Fjord is teaching a particularly anxious Nott to hold the reins of a harnessed horse. Above them, Frumpkin roams the sky in the form of a bird without ever quite getting out of their view. It’s been a long time since Caleb doesn’t have to walk the distance and can indulge in reading as much as he wishes, even if it means having to reread the same works he already knows by heart. It is perhaps for this reason that his concentration is so fragile. Right in front of him, Mollymauk sits on the railing of the cart. He contemplates the horizon with a serene air, his multiple jewels shimmering in the sunlight, the wind shaking the dark curls of his hair. Legs outstretched for a better balance, he doesn't realize that the tip of his boots brush against Caleb's leg from time to time when the cart is shaken by a bump.</p><p>Between two squalls, Caleb can smell the fresh scent of ginger coming to his nose. It’s not unpleasant. Not unpleasant at all.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Massages and Hairdressing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mollymauk insists that Caleb take the reins on the way home, surely to occupy his wandering mind. An unnecessary effort. The mage cannot forget the light of the flames. The smell of charred flesh. The cries of agony. Nevertheless, he remains astonished by the initiative of the tieffelin. It is not so much that he is surprised that Mollymauk was the first to notice his discomfort, but rather the fact that he was the first to react. He can still feel the pinch of his slap on his cheek to wake him up, the light kiss on his forehead as an excuse. He's still the one who sits next to him at the front of the cart, while Nott keeps sending them worried glances without daring to speak, preferring to walk alongside the rest of the group.</p><p>Caleb does not deserve her patience. Somewhat, Mollymauk’s attitude resonates better with his needs, even if he still cannot decipher it. The tiefling does not stifle him with his good intentions. He is simply there, always as nonchalant, always as confident in his posture, his red eyes contemplating the landscape with a satisfied smile… Kind of like a large purple horned cat enjoying a bowl of hot milk. And on one of these horns, a little sparrow with ruffled feathers hides its head under its wing to better rest.</p><p>Caleb stiffens when he suddenly feels something against his lower back, and it takes him a moment to understand that it’s Mollymauk's tail. It stops immediately at his reaction, waiting for a gesture of discomfort to withdraw or a sign of agreement to stay. However, the tiefling’s expression has not changed, and continues to scrutinize the horizon with a relaxed face as if its tail has taken a life of its own. But maybe it’s all in Caleb head, maybe it's just involuntary contact. There must not be much room to put it anywhere other than on their bench, with all these poor souls piled up in the cart alongside their manticore head.</p><p>Since he didn’t react, the tail of the tiefling snuggles him even more, making subtle rounds against his back like a light massage, or some soothing caress. Caleb may glance at him, but Mollymauk continues to act as if nothing happen. As much as this makes him nervous, he is a little grateful for that. He doesn’t like it when people notice his weakness, but he knows he cannot recover on his own, not in this state, not after all he has gone through. Mollymauk understood this. In just a few days, he understood it, while Caleb seemed to barely touch the hidden complexity of the tiefling. It’s exasperating, making him a little anxious. But somewhere, that's what he needs right now. A puzzle to briefly divert his attention from the agony that eats away at him.</p><p>Little by little, in spite of himself, the tension in his back ends up slackening, and as his posture relax, the tail of the tiefling ceases its slow movements but stay against his back. Caleb believes that it will be all, that Mollymauk will just keep this subtle presence to discreetly remind him that he is no longer alone, that he has something to hold on to. But he jumps again when fine fingers slip delicately into a lock of his greasy hair, gently pushing it behind one of his ears.</p><p>- It's best when the driver sees where he's going.</p><p>Mollymauk's smile is sweet as the setting sun makes the multiple charms of his horns shine. A bit mischievous too, because he knows that Caleb understood his implication. But Mollymauk is not Nott. He will not press the subject any further in the hope of helping him, because he has pity on him. No, he will let him think and let him make his own decision. And for that, especially for that, Caleb now understands that he can trust him. Just a little more.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Preparing Wines, Juices and Tea</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Leaky Tap is crowded at this hour, forcing the group to make their way to the last available table while Mollymauk sneaks up to the counter to order them drinks. Jester takes the opportunity to distribute to everyone her freshly bought donuts. As usual, Caleb is not hungry and discreetly passes his share to Nott who hastens to engulf it, savoring their soft texture to the fullest.</p><p>- It would be better to put something in this stomach before flooding it with alcohol.</p><p>Mollymauk's whisper, right next to his ear, makes him tense up on the spot as his breath caresses his neck. Smells of wine and sweet fruit immediately rise to his nose, but none of it is strong enough to dislodge his heady scent of ginger. The next moment, the tiefling goes around the table as if nothing had happened, placing before Jester a glass filled with what looks like a pulpy fruit juice of a bright orange color.</p><p>- Oh, you thought of me! What is that ?<br/>- It is made from exotic fruits imported from the Menagerie. Alcohol-free. I thought it would remind you a little bit of the country.<br/>- Molly, this is so nice! You are the best !</p><p>Already, Jester is standing up to plant a grateful kiss on his cheek, forcing the lavender tiefling to contort himself so as not to escape the three bottles of wine and the five metal cups that he miraculously holds between his fingers. He makes a point of serving them in turn, pouring out the liquid with such elegance that Caleb wonders for a moment if he would not have received sommelier lessons.</p><p>- To our arrival at Zadash !<br/>- To Zadash !</p><p>The first glass of white wine is incredibly refreshing, and Caleb realizes that two weeks earlier, this kind of luxury was completely inaccessible to him. Things have changed so quickly since he and Nott joined the rest of the group. Maybe even too fast, but he doesn't know if he should say it out loud. His goblin friend seems to be flourishing more than ever now that she is surrounded by understandable people, and above all, since she can eat as much as she can almost everyday.</p><p>By the time they get to the second bottle, Caleb already feels a little lighter and more relaxed than he was at the start of the evening. The wine, red this time, has a rich flavor that immediately pleases the magician, to the point that he takes his time to keep it in his mouth to better savor it. He has barely finished his cut when Jester becomes part of a poker game, and Caleb quickly joins Nott to help her cheat her way for a few gold coins ... which fails miserably, but at least, it is not a fortune that they leave behind. For the first in a long time, Caleb no longer feels anxious. Winning is no longer a necessity. They are having fun. They can afford it now.</p><p>The third bottle is a fruity rosé that fizzle on the tip of his tongue. Caleb could spend a long time sitting there, stroking Frumpkin's fur on his lap, listlessly listening to the discussions around him. But two red eyes end up piercing the haze of his mind. Two piercing eyes which calmly bring him back to dry land, as they have so well done in recent days. And on the other side of the table, Mollymauk gives him a mischievous smile before removing his empty glass.</p><p>The next day, as Caleb wakes up with a painful migraine, Nott and Frumpkin huddled against his chest, a steaming cup is placed on his bedside table. No note has been left by the generous donor, but when the mage raises the liquid to his lips, he cannot ignore the smell of his herbal tea while the lemon and ginger float peacefully in hot water.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Carpentry</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The storm is raging outside the inn, but that’s not what wakes Caleb up in the middle of the night. No, it’s rather Beau's exhausted drumming at his door as Nott grumbles in her sleep, frowning before burying her head under the pillow. The monk is on him as soon as he opens the door.</p><p>- Dude, do you have a spell against leak? Because if it goes on like this, I'm going to go crazy. We tried to put sheets to stop the water, but now they are soaked and the sound got worse!</p><p>A little confused by the sudden request, Caleb rubs his eyes with one hand, slowly realizing the hammering of the rain on the roof. While he goes to answer that he has nothing like that in his books, he is taken aback by the strange appearance of a disheveled Mollymauk just dressed in pants, pulled by the hand by a Jesting too much awake for such an advanced hour of the night. Seeing them, the purple tiefling stretches out a thin, sleepy smile, and Caleb forces himself to focus on his face so as not to rudely stare at his naked torso. He already saw him naked in the common baths, but with is embarrassment, never really brought is attention to him at that time. He didn’t realized how scarred the man was, even if the cleavage of his shirt left some clues to his condition. It looks like his whole body is covered with a dense spider web, which goes so far as to get lost beyond his belly, hidden by the limit of his high-waisted pants. But the most surprising are his fabulous tattoos. Caleb has already noticed the snake head on the top of his right hand, and now sees his whole scaly body rising up along his arm, waving out of the bush of flowers on his shoulder. And a little higher, he can finally admire in his entirety the majestic peacock, of which he could only guessed with the tail going up on the neck of the tiefling to caress his cheek.</p><p>- Beau, I found someone to fix our roof !<br/>- What, seriously?<br/>- You have to be skillful with your hands when working in a circus. Just adjusting a few boards, using a boot heel as a hammer... It’s not that complicated.</p><p>At these words, Mollymauk sends one of his classic confident winks, but the effect is a bit missed as he stifles a yawn behind his hand, briefly revealing sharp canines and a few tears of sleep. Since he has known him, Caleb realizes that it is indeed the first time that the tiefling does not seem threatening to him… Probably because it is the first time that he does not seem completely in control, without its unstoppable charm and its aura of mystery.</p><p>- Well, in that case, sorry for waking you up, Caleb. You can go back to sleep, we'll manage… Oh, did you see Yasha by any chance? She just leaved our room while we were sleeping.<br/>- Don't know, maybe she’s in the bathroom…</p><p>As the trio walks off into the hallway, the magician can't close the door right away as his gaze hangs on the tiefling's back longer than he wants. There are other tattoos on his shoulder blades, a moon and sun so typical of Mollymauk’s aesthetic, and in the center, the strange image of a pyramid with an incredibly realistic red eye. Caleb feels himself shivering in spite of himself, having the disturbing impression that the tattoo is trying to hypnotize him, and finally closes the door behind him. However, sleep still does not come as he slips under the sheets, even with the slight snoring of Nott so reassuring in the silence of the night. It’s not because, somewhere beyond the walls, he can hear the muffled sounds of Mollymauk hitting a few planks of wood while whistling insults in infernal. Nor is it because the thunder is becoming more and more deafening outside, the lightning illuminating the room and the wind shaking the window.</p><p>No, that night, Caleb can't close his eyes because he still has the image of Mollymauk's bare chest etched in his retinas, and the feeling that something dark, dangerous and inexplicable is linked to these tattoos without knowing exactly what is causing him this sudden burst of paranoia. Finally putting the blame on his mind clouded by a too sudden awakening, he just manages to close his eyes when a last thought comes in his mind before he sinks into the arms of Morpheus: “It's a shame, if it were not for this sensation, Mollymauk's body would be truly magnificent… ”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Improvising Poetry</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Caleb is in the middle of a debate with himself when he hears the door to the basement open, making him quickly put down the skull he had in his hand. But rather than Nott’s little figure flocking to his side, it’s an elegant, horned figure piercing the shadows, his red eyes glowing in the dark like a nightmare.</p><p>- … Mollymauk?</p><p>Sighing, the tiefling pulls out a crate, settling alongside the magician, ignoring his gaze. He looks angry. He looks sad. He seems to be looking for his words. Not sure what to say, Caleb just waits. He knows that a spate of accusations will soon fall on his shoulders, and is mentally preparing to take it all in silence.</p><p>Mollymauk eventually spots the skull near his feet, and lifts it up to his gaze to observe it, perhaps to nervously occupy his hands while gathering his thoughts into an effective sermon. Instead, his lips stretch into a painful grin.</p><p>- To be, or not to be, that is the question…<br/>- Whether it is nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them ?</p><p>Caleb responded by reflex the rest of the tirade, and bit his lower lip as the tiefling turned towards him, tilting his head to the side, like a puppy that is both curious and confused.</p><p>- It's, uh ... The play, I ... I read it once, when I was younger. I just ... memorized it, like everything I read.</p><p>Another silence. Mollymauk sit cross-legged on his crate, pensively placing the skull between his knees. Finally, he closes his eyes, sighs, and starts.</p><p>- On behalf of the whole group ... Well, maybe not from Beauregard, but on behalf of the rest of the group ... Sorry. We weren't very fair with you and Nott. Especially with you.</p><p>Molly starts rubbing his neck, maybe in embarrassment, maybe because he’s all a little tired and tense from the latest events.</p><p>- You were the first to oppose this mission. Say it would get us in a lot more trouble than it would bring us. Same thing for the use of certain magic objects. But each time no one took you seriously, and ... it was not very fair. So I understand that then, you decided to ... just act without explaining anything to the rest of the group, since no one was listening to you anyway.<br/>- …<br/>- But from now on, we will have to explain. Not just say, but explain too. Otherwise, no one will understand each other, and if no one understands each other, then there is no more group.<br/>- … I am not good at speaking. But I will try.<br/>- Thank you.</p><p>When the red eyes open again, it no longer feels like a nightmare. The tiefling's features are still drawn, but his smile is warm in the darkness of the basement. And Caleb can't help but feel guilty, because he still doesn't know if he will ever be able to tell him the truth.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Sleight of Hands</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I... didn't respected the theme on that one. But hey, I invented that challenge, so who care if I respect or not all the rules xD The goal is to write something interesting after all.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Caleb doesn't like to use fire. He knows it power and it ferocity. He knows it instability and it dangers. He also knows that it is sometimes a necessary evil, but when he uses it, he cannot prevent something from twisting inside him, something that resembles fear and distress.</p><p>However, when he sees Mollymauk explode one of the urns with a precise blow of his ceremonial saber, and the wisp threatening him suddenly disappearing in a shower of sparks, a completely different feeling animates him as he reaches out to summon his first fireball. Something he hadn't felt for a long time: the excitement of seeing the pieces of the puzzle fall into place, and the belief that he can help put the last one. The first two balls of fire explode the remaining urns, and riding this new feeling of euphoria, Caleb can't help but throw the last one to the ceiling, letting it fall behind him in an explosion of triumphant flames. As he would have done a very long time ago, after having mastered a new spell and wanting to boast in front of his mentor in the hope of receiving some warm congratulations.</p><p>- That was awesome !</p><p>The bitter memory is quickly forgotten under the exclamations of Nott and the rest of his comrades. Beau hits his shoulder a little too hard in what seems to be a mark of affection. Jester falters in an excited voice while imitating the explosion with her gesturing arms. Even Yasha, however impassive, looks at him with large astonished and even admiring eyes. However, Caleb's gaze is on Mollymauk. After all, he was the one who inspired him to save the team by targeting the urns. And somewhere, he too encouraged him to brave his fears during a night that suddenly seemed so far away, but which hardly dates back a week or two. Again, Caleb’s memory works miracles and brings back the autumn wind on his face, the smell of tall grass, the creak of the wheels of their wagon, Mollymauk’s fingers in his hair. He does not know if he will have the courage to confide in the rest of the group one day as the tiefling did last night, but now he knows that he can trust him, and somewhere he is intimately convicted that if there is someone to whom he would like to share a part of the past that weighs on his shoulders ... It would be Mollymauk.</p><p>He still needs a little time, of course, but it would come. For now, he is just happy to have overcome this little personal ordeal, to be able to feel alive again by taking pleasure in what once fascinated him, rather than seeing magic as a tool for his final goal. So he just shares an accomplice look at the purple tiefling, and Mollymauk responds by bowing before storing his blades in elegant reels. His colorful coat and curly hair are covered in white ash, but he doesn't even try to dust himself off, as if his simple stature and smirk are enough to preserve his charisma. He's not wrong, and Caleb can't help having that light thought again: that Mollymauk is just breathtaking. But even more, he hopes that the pride he reads in his blood red eyes, a pride that is directed towards Caleb as if to silently congratulate him for fighting his fear of fire ... He hopes that he will be able to see it shine for him again and again, until one day Mollymauk managed to make him a better man by his simple influence.</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Dancing</h2></a>
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    <p>There are so many people at the festival that the group barely manages to hold under the awning of the stand where they took refuge. Caleb hates the crowd, hates being forced to share his living space so closely with so many people. However, today, nothing seems to diminish his good humor. Beau and Mollymauk are talking about mead while enjoying their drink. Jester recounts how Fjord made a fool of himself at the Trebuchet game, exaggerating the scene each time a little more as the half-orc tries to disappear in shame in his armor. As for Nott, she is so captivated by the story of the tiefling that she completely forgot the silver coin she lost earlier in the game of King's Vault and the display of strong alcohol just under her nose.</p><p>Seeing her like that warms Caleb's heart. He likes to know that she is happy. He clings to this fact as if to convince himself that somewhere, he is still capable of doing good in this world, capable of protecting someone. This brief thought quickly evaporates his smile, but he quickly masks his pain from the eyes of others. Remorse can wait until later. Today is a happy day. They’re here to have fun.</p><p>- Hey, look! There are people dancing!</p><p>Excited, Jester points towards dancers who courageously ignore the drizzle to better stir the music of a small group of bards, protected by an awning decorated with autumnal flowers. Seeing their clothes, it is clear that the dance is a traditional practice known to the common people, and Caleb cannot help a terrible nostalgic wave crashing into his heart. There was a similar practice in his village, with jumping and joyful steps reminding him of a carefree childhood…</p><p>He is pulled from his thoughts by a Jester dragging a poor Fjord by the arm towards the dance floor, the half-orc throwing terrorized looks around him as he clumsily tries to keep pace. It is clear that the two do not know the steps, and Jester imitates each movement of the dancers with an exaggerated vigor that misses knocking down his dance companion a few times. Caleb cannot help a small smile from blossoming on his lips in front of the comic of the situation, while at his side, Beau is folded to laugh to the point of choking on her drink.</p><p>- You are not going to dance, Molly?<br/>- I'd love to, but it looks like it's a dance for two... Interested in accompanying me, maybe?</p><p>Mollymauk winks at his friend, but it's clear that this is more of a tease than an invitation, knowing Yasha's reserved nature. This seems to break Beau's hilarity as she suddenly starts looking at the dancers, then the barbarian, and again from one to the other with that air of puppy in distress who wants to be subtle, but fails miserably.</p><p>- Or, uh, Yasha, maybe with... me? Not that I like to dance, but uh, if that's your thing, I mean, it doesn't sound so ridiculous, does it?<br/>- I don’t dance.<br/>- Ah, well, uh, yes, that’s… That’s what I was saying, right.</p><p>Beau's desperate efforts are almost painfull to see, and Caleb forces himself to look away to better watch their duo of friends on the dance floor, where Fjord begins to master the situation just enough to avoid tripping over each three steps.</p><p>- Caleb, maybe? Would you like to do me the honor of this dance?</p><p>Mollymauk's eyes are suddenly plunged into his as he reaches out with a hand with a mischievous smile, and Caleb runs away quickly to the next shop to hide his pitiful stammering and the red tint which goes up to his ears. Behind him, he can hear the sneer of the tiefling, and he no longer knows if this is a gentle mockery or a nervous laughter trying to hide his disappointment. With Mollymauk, it could very well be both.</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Arranging Flowers</h2></a>
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    <p>After so much time locked up in Zadash, getting back on the road is a blessing despite the increasingly cool nights. There was a time when sleeping in the forest around a campfire was synonymous with misery and fear for Caleb and Nott, but today, surrounded by their strange companions, Caleb finds himself enjoying this familiar decor that has become peaceful and pleasant. Beau is already asleep in the cart, huddled on the makeshift bed that Jester has installed. Fjord sits casually by the fire, feeding it from time to time with a few branches piled up beside him. Caleb is reading his spells, as usual, even though he has had their symbols etched in his mind. At one point, they realize that Yasha has disappeared in the shadows, and Mollymauk jokes that they will surely find her in a week, but she returns less than an hour later with her arms full of wild plants, which she then methodically puts between the pages of her book.</p><p>- Oh, these flowers really go well with the color of your hair.</p><p>Caleb almost jumps when he realizes that Mollymauk has moved closer to him. The fine fingers of the tiefling are delicately closed on a bouquet of flowers, bringing it a little closer to Caleb's head as if to better admire the color contrast between the petals and its mop of oily hair.</p><p>- What do you think, Nott? Caleb would need new flowers for his hair, the old ones are starting to crumble.<br/>- Oh yes ! New lucky flowers!<br/>- It would work well, since they are chrysanthemums.</p><p>All of a sudden, all eyes are on Yasha, and embarrassed to be suddenly in the center of attention, the giant uncrossed her arms to make a vague sign towards the multicolored flowers surrounding her.</p><p>- In the language of flowers, well ... What I mean is that most of the time, flowers have a symbolism, and chrysanthemums represent immortality. Well, as I understand it.<br/>- You really like flowers Yasha, don't you?</p><p>As Jester leans toward her like a curious puppy, Yasha blushes even more despite her very pale complexion, and Caleb catches Mollymauk's gaze as he watches the scene. He knows this expression. He knows he has the same for Nott when he sees her eyes smile behind her mask. But just as quickly, the blood-red pupils are on him again, and they have the same warmth as he rotates the bouquet to highlight the colors of his choice.</p><p>- I like the purple of these, they go well with your scarf. The reds are also doing pretty well.</p><p>Caleb doesn't know why Yasha gives Mollymauk a funny look at that moment, but the tiefling doesn't seem to notice it as his hand finally pulls away from the mage face, letting the scent of chrysanthemums soar in the air.</p>
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